|
Volunteer Profile
We are proud to feature another one of our amazing NECC volunteers, Linda Carmona-Bell, the Educational Technology Specialist at the New Jersey Department of Education as our volunteer profile for August.
|
Second Life Opportunities
We are recruitng new volunteers in Second Life. Minimal experience in SL necessary, and a great way to network with your colleagues and get involved in SL events.
|
ISTE Conference Volunteering
Already excited about next year's conference? Click here to learn about all the ways you can get involved.
|
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering for ISTE is a great way to build leadership skills, network with fellow members, and use your knowledge to provide service leadership to your peers.
Volunteer Application
Completing our volunteer intake survey allows you to list your skills and interests, so we can create and offer the most relevant volunteer opportunities each month. Log in with your ISTE member number to complete the Volunteer Intake Form.
Recognition
Everyone loves a pat on the back or little applause now and then! Your valuable time and dedication in volunteering for ISTE will not go unnoticed. Once a month, we will select a "Volunteer of the Month" to be highlighted in our Volunteer Newsletter and Call to Action e-mail.
 ISTE is an official Certifying Organization for the Presidents Volunteer Service Award. Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad. To learn more about this program visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
If you would like to pursue this award, please contact Terra Sieberman at volunteer@iste.org for more information and get started today!
Calling All volunteers
ISTE needs volunteers like you! Please take a look at the current volunteer opportunities availabe and consider comitting to at least one as a way to continue your professional development, network with other members, and get even more out of your membership.
Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Terra Sieberman, at 541.434.8906 or volunteer@iste.org for more information.
SIG Opportunities
-
Contribute an article to SIG News, the Special Interest Program’s bimonthly newsletter, or to an individual SIG’s newsletter.
-
Help develop a professional development activity for your SIG.
-
Facilitate discussions on the SIG Nings or discussion listserves.
-
Add resources to your SIG's wiki.
-
Join your SIG's Second Life community and help with their special events.
-
Join a committee – many of the SIGs have committees focused on particular activities (such as NECC) or topics (advocacy).
Contact Audrey Watters, awatters@iste.org, SIG Program Manager, or one of the officers in your SIG, for more information.
Volunteer Profile of the Month!
Linda Carmona-Bell
Educational Technology Specialist
New Jersey Department of Education
|
|
Linda was one of the many volunteers this year at NECC in Washington DC. Here is a recap of one of her shifts during the conference as an "ASK-ME" volunteer.
The “ASK-ME” assignment was wonderful! People were friendly and some were funny. It was a great feeling to help those in need of assistance. I was charged with helping the attendees find what they were seeking – a conference room, poster sessions, Starbucks, etc…. It began as a rather challenging assignment – yes, I did steer some people in the wrong direction. However, I got the hang of it, built momentum and was spewing directions readily. The question of the day was “where is the exhibit hall?”
1. Why are you an educator?
Because I have to be – it is the “right” field for me. I love learning and imparting what I have learned. I understand learners, children and adults, and feel blessed to be able to effectively share my knowledge and resources. There is no feeling like that of knowing when a learner “gets it” and contributes to the sharing of knowledge. It is very cool!
2. What do you like best about your current position?
Currently, I have two related positions – one volunteer and one paid. I volunteer as a part-time technology coordinator at a private school in my neighborhood, and I am working as an educational technologist at the State department. In both cases, I have the opportunity to develop and facilitate programs and professional development that change how teachers teach and students learn. It is an awesome opportunity to plant a seed and see it grow such that it positively and progressively impacts many teachers and students. Again, it is very cool!
3. What idea or contribution to your school/organization are you most proud of?
Several years ago, I delved into understanding the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach, and have come to embrace its undeniable potential to transform teaching and learning so that every student in a classroom will not only learn, but flourish and love learning. The approach is based on student-centered learning, which is what we have been touting in educational technology for years. I have had the awesome opportunity, with my colleague Joseph Seaman, to develop and now implement a program that supports schools with adopting the UDL approach throughout mathematics classrooms in grades five through eight. Wonderful things are happening in those classrooms for the teachers and the students.
4. What is the biggest opportunity or challenge you see in your professional specialty area in the next five years?
The biggest opportunity is taking advantage of the federal emphasis on 21st century skills to reduce or eliminate the barriers that have caused many school districts to “de-emphasize” educational technology within their schools. Technology facilitator/coordinator positions have been reduced, replacement of outdated technology is overdue, and many other areas have been neglected because educational technology has not been seriously considered. Now is the time for all administrators to understand that effective integration of educational technology in the curriculum, and subsequently classroom instruction, 1) impacts student learning, 2) is necessary for students to be successful, and 3) requires them to take action by making it a priority within the district.
5. Over the past 2-3 years, what's been of particular surprise to you in your work?
The number of web 2.0 tools that are available and in use is amazing. About three years ago, I remember having a conversation with a teacher about how he felt that the web 2.0 arena was not taking off as everyone expected. However, three years later I don’t know anyone who has not heard of and used at least two web 2.0 tools, whether intentional or not. It is exciting to see how many new tools surface every few months, and how many I can learn to use.
6. How does volunteering for ISTE enhance your professional life?
Volunteering for ISTE allows me to meet different people, learn about what they are doing and take back information that can improve what I do. I learned a lot from my co-“ASK ME” volunteer and from those individuals who stopped and wanted to talk a bit more than most. I connected with more individuals by volunteering at NECC this year than I have ever had as an attendee in the past.
7. What is the best thing you like about volunteering for ISTE?
I really like talking with people, in many different positions, about what they are doing in their work. I also volunteered to help with the Poster Session and it was awesome chatting with people from all over the world as they set up their equipment to present their projects. It was a great experience.
8. What do you like to do when you're not working or volunteering?
First and foremost, I like spending time with my family. In addition, I am involved in activities in my home state that assist parents in becoming community leaders, and activities that support the inclusion of children with disabilities into all educational settings with their same-age peers. Both initiatives are close and dear to my heart.
Volunteer Profile Archives
|
